Culvert structure



y 1944- A. H. LIKELY CULVERT STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 15, 1944 Patented July 25, 1944 UNITE STATES, PATENT OFFICE l 2, s 54,527 p f K, ,CULVERT STRUCTURE. I 7

1 Arthur Henr Likely, St, John, New Br n w Canada: 1 Al nliation January is, 1944', Serial No; 518,184

In Canada September-7,1943,"

6 Claims.

This invention relates to wood culvert structures.

An object of the invention is to provide a wood culvert which is simple in design and requires few shapes of component members, which may be assembled or disassembled with ease without injury to any part thereof, and which lends itself readily to repair and maintenance.

Other objects, advantages and details of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds with particular reference to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure l is a partial perspective view of the culvert according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a top or bottom member,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a side member,

Figure 4 is an end view of the culvert with corner posts removed and,

Figure 5 is an end view of the culvert with corner posts in place.

The culvert comprises only four various shapes of ordinary four-sided timbers, namely, members i forming the top 2 and bottom 3, members 4 forming each of the two sides, four longitudinal key members 5, and four corner posts 6.

The top and bottom members I extend the full width of the culvert and have inclined transverse grooves l in their inner faces adjacent both ends thereof. Such inner faces are also preferably recessed at one end, as indicated at 8, to receive the ends of complementary side members 4.

The side members 4 are adapted to rest with their lower ends in the recesses 8 of the bottom members and their upper ends in the recesses 8 of the top members to support the latter. The members 4 have inclined grooves 9 in both ends, said grooves being complementary to and registering with the grooves 1 in the top and bottom members.

The longitudinal members 5 extend from end to end of the culvert and are adapted to snugly engage the grooves 1 and 9 in the top, bottom and side members. The four members 5, extending through the four longitudinal corners of the culvert and being inclined with respect to the walls of the culvert, constitute an efiective means for rigidly positioning and locking in place the various top, bottom and side members. It will be observed that the members 5 require no special shaping.

The culvert is provided with four end corner posts 6, each of which has an inclined groove I0 adjacent both ends of its inner face to receive the projecting ends ll of the longitudinal members 5. Through each pair of posts extend two transversely extending rods [2, which also extend through the projecting ends I I of the members 5. The posts 6 and rods l2 rigidly maintain the assembled structure in place, but may be readily removed should it be necessary to disassemble or repair the structure.

In the described structure, substantially all metal fastening means have been eliminated with the exception of the rods l2, which are exposed and may be renewed easily if necessary.

The structure possesses great strength for effective resistance against fill and frost pressure. Since all the top and bottom members extend throughout the full width of the culvert, they receive maximum support from the side members. The latter not only receive support from the top and bottom members but also receive all necessary additional support from the longitudinal members}.

It will be apparent that various changes in details of the described structure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A culvert comprising top and bottom walls each consisting of a plurality of members laid side by side, all of said members being substantially identical, side-walls each consisting of a plurality of members laid side by side, all of said side wall members being substantially identical,

a member extending along each longitudinal corcent either end thereof, side walls each consisting of a plurality of members having their ends engaging said top and bottom members and having inclined grooves in their ends, said grooves being complementary to and registering with the grooves in said top and bottom members, longitudinally extending members each engaging the grooves adjacent a respective corner of the culvert, said longitudinally extending members having projecting ends, and transversely extends ing rods each connecting a pair of opposed projecting ends.

3. A wood culvert as defined in claim 2, wherein said top and bottom members have recesses to receive the ends of said side members.

4. A wood culvert as defined in claim 2, including end corner posts each having a pair of inclined grooves therein to receive the projecting ends of said longitudinally extending members, said rods extending through said posts.

5. A wood culvert comprising a plurality of substantially identical top and bottom members, a plurality of substantially identical side members, four substantially identical longitudinal members each extending adjacent a corner of the culvert and engaging the adjacent side and top or bottom members, said longitudinal members being inclined with respect to the walls of the culvert and having projecting ends, and four substantially identical end corner posts each engaging a pair of said ends.

6. A culvert comprising top and bottom walls each consisting of a plurality of members extending transversely of the culvert and laid side by side, all of said members being substantially identical, side walls each consisting of a plurality of members extending transversely of the culvert and laid side by side, all of said side wall members being substantially identical, each of said members having a recess adjacent each end thereof.

and a member extending along each longitudinal 

